


Fairy Harry and the Isle of Avalon

by Cupcakes_and_Kitten_Mittens



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Alternate Universe - Fairies, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Fae & Fairies, Gen, Magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-06
Updated: 2016-06-14
Packaged: 2018-07-12 16:51:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7114270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cupcakes_and_Kitten_Mittens/pseuds/Cupcakes_and_Kitten_Mittens
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU: Harry was born a fairy and when his wings sprout it's time for him to start school. The Dursleys aren't awful. Dudley is a thrall. The school is in the Fairy Realm of Avalon. Younger-looking Dumbledore and McGonagall. Weasleys are wonderful. CisFem Hagrid. Recreations of battles. Sorted by wing color. Unseelie and monsters. Pretty images. Loosely based on Book 1.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Revelation

One only had to look at Number Four Privet Drive to know something was wrong with it. 

The date was late July 1991, and the house was covered in butterflies.

“I am not sending him to some school to become a fairy!” A voice roared from within. There was a ripple of colored wings that could have been construed as a communal titter.

“I—I’m not sure we have a choice, dear…” a female voice sounded resigned.

“There’s always a choice!” A man roared back.

“Well, if you can think of one, why don’t you grace us with your idea, Vernon?” She snapped back as she gestured to the boy in front of them. “How can we hide him when he’s gone off and sprouted wings?!”

The boy was small for his age, with messy black hair, bright green eyes, and glasses. He also had a pair of brilliant gold and burgundy wings sticking out of the back of his shirt.

“Well, your sister could keep it under control, couldn’t she? She had to have!”

“Only after she went to that place and they taught her how,” the woman said bitterly. “We had to hide her in a closet when the neighbors popped by until they came to get her.”

“Well, how long until they can get come get him?”

“We write a response on the leaf they sent us and then we blow it into the wind,” the woman told him. “Then they’ll send someone at nightfall tomorrow.”

“Downright primitive if you ask me.” The man harrumphed. “How does it know where to go?”

“Fairy magic.” The woman shrugged. “But that’s how it works. He’ll be gone.”

“I’m not sure we can pass up this chance,” the man said eagerly. “It’ll save us quite a bit of bother and money.”

“Then I’ll write them back right now,” the woman said, as if the boy wasn’t in the room. She rose to her feet and went to look for a pen.

“Go to your room, boy,” the man said sternly, and the boy slunk out of the parlor and down the hall to the bedroom he shared with his cousin.

He opened the door and a heavy-set blond boy a few years older than him sat up on the lower bed of a set of bunk beds. “What did they say?”

“They’re sending me to that school. They finally have a way to get rid of me.” The smaller boy said in a small voice.

The other boy sucked in a breath. “Maybe I can come with you?”

“How?”

“As your thrall.”

“Are you insane? We just found out about this and you want to be a thrall? You don’t know what that means! I don’t know what that means!” The boy thought for a moment. “I’m not even sure how you do it.”

“Isn’t it just a promise?”

“Can’t be. You bet me yesterday the Tigers wouldn’t win and you’re supposed to be my slave for the day. If it was that easy wouldn’t you already be my thrall because you’re pledged to me today?”

The other boy looked downtrodden. “You’re probably right. We probably have to do a blood oath or something.”

“I’m not cutting my finger open for you.”

“Harry! Dudley!” The voice was sharp.

They looked at each other in bewilderment. 

“What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Besides sprout wings.”

“Shut up.”

“What’s this?!” Vernon burst into the room, startling the boys and waving a large leaf around. It had gold writing on it.

“What is a thrall and why are they insisting Dudley register himself?!” Vernon demanded, his eyes bulging.

“It’s all my fault, dad,” Dudley spoke up eagerly. “Entirely.”

Vernon turned on his son. “What do you mean it’s all your fault?”

“I said the Tigers would win yesterday and Harry said they’d lose, so I bet him that if they lost I’d be his slave for the day…” Dudley trailed off as he saw his father’s shoulders slump.

“We didn’t know,” Harry spoke up nervously. “We’d never have done it if we had. I swear.”

Vernon tried to throw a dirty look at his nephew, but he looked as if the wind had been knocked out of him. He sighed deeply.

“Well, then it looks like the both of you are going off to school.”


	2. 2

"What do you mean we can't take anything with us?" Dudley whined. "I need my phone!"

"Phones don't work in Avalon," his mother told him gently. "But you can hear my voice on the wind and we'll write."

"The first free thrall in a thousand years," Vernon said, as if he were trying to make anything into a proud moment.

"Think of it this way, dad. I'm getting a free education at an elite school as a scholarship student." Dudley sighed.

"And that's what we'll tell the neighbors, won't we, Petunia?" Vernon beamed. "Both of the boys did very well in their tests."

"Of course they did." She agreed with him as if it had actually happened.

There was a knock on the door and Harry looked up, frightened.

Dudley put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. I'm coming, too."

Petunia opened the door to reveal a tall, thin red-haired man dressed in purple leather. He was holding a motorcycle helmet. "Albus!"

"Hello, my dear," he said warmly as he kissed her on the cheek and she giggled and blushed, a side effect of fairy magic. "I haven't been allowed back into the human realm in ages!"

"Probably for good reason," she scolded him. "I hear the Americans never recovered from Woodstock."

"Oh, the Americans are fine." He waved her off. His eyes lit upon Harry. "Oh, goodness, he is James' son, isn't he?"

"Well, we did wonder for a while." Petunia admitted under her breath. "And this is our son, Dudley."

The fairy sized up the human boy and nodded. "You as strong as you look?"

"I think so," Dudley said, surprised.

"You smart?"

"I don't know what your definition of smart is." Dudley admitted.

"You're smart." The man nodded with a sense of finality.

"Of course he is," Vernon huffed. "Top of his class in literature and languages." He thought for a moment. "Kind of a toss at science and math, though."

"Hopefully, you'll be an example to the other thrall." Albus smiled. "You should talk to Hagrid. He's a free thrall."

"I thought Dudley was the first in a thousand years," Vernon growled.

"Hagrid's fairy died. Dudley's fairy still lives," Albus said politely. "There's quite a difference."

"Do you have a thrall?" Vernon asked the fairy challengingly.

"I did once, but I'm afraid he went mad. He was getting old for a human," Albus said, smiling. "It happens to the best of us… eventually."

"How long do fairies live?" Dudley asked curiously.

"I was born in 1775, right before the war started," Albus said, smiling. "My wings came in at fifteen."

"Oh, a bit of a late bloomer, then?" Petunia asked. "I never knew. Harry's only eleven."

"He'll be one of the youngest, but there are enough children his age he'll fit right in." Albus reassured her.

"What about Dudley?" Vernon frowned.

"How old are you, Dudley?" Albus asked.

"Almost fourteen."

"It's uncommon for a fairy to have a thrall older than them, but you are family and the circumstances were quite… unusual."

"We didn't do it on purpose!" Harry groaned as if he'd been hearing this all day, which he had.

"I believe you," Albus grinned with a twinkle in his eye. "Dudley, there will be plenty of other thralls and fairies your age."

Dudley looked relieved.

"Well, we had better be off, boys," Albus said gently. No time like the present and all of the new students will be gathering soon.

The boys said their goodbyes. There were plenty of tears for Dudley and a ruffle of hair and a hug for Harry before the boys followed Albus outside to a wooden motorbike decorated in leaves and wisps of smoke. It had a sidecar wide enough for two, and two helmets and pairs of goggles were waiting inside.

The boys climbed in before slipping on the helmets and goggles and buckling the straps to hold them in.

Albus mounted the motorbike and turned the key. It made a low humming sound, almost like a hive of bees.

The boys waved good bye merrily and they were off.

They rode to the end of the street, but where the road turned, they began rising into the air.

"Why doesn't anyone see us?" Harry yelled as the wind whipped around them.

"Fairy magic!" Albus bellowed. "And if you think that's something, watch this!"

He pushed a button on the console and the wisps of smoke that wove their way around the motorbike grew thicker until they enveloped both it and its riders.

The bike slowed down to a crawl and they drifted over houses and backyards until they found a man asleep in a hammock with a magazine over his face. Albus pointed to a button with a lightning bolt on it before covering his mouth mischievously. He pressed it.

**BOOM**

The man spun around in his hammock as rain began pouring down on him. He grabbed his things and ran for the comfort of his living room as the boys laughed uproariously.

"We can only be naughty once a trip or they don't let you out again," Albus warned the boys as they continued on, leaving the man to wonder what on earth had happened as he watched a single raincloud in the sky speed off.


	3. 3

Harry and Dudley enjoyed their trip across the country, although there was no more mischief along the way. They began to fly over the ocean, Harry enjoying the sea air and the waves in the water.

An island began to loom in front of them. It was covered in heavy wet mist and black jagged rocks stuck out of the water in a ring around it. They flew over the rocks and through the mist, and when they came out of it Harry got the chills.

The sun was brighter, the sky bluer, the grass greener and dotted with flowers. The motorbike touched down on the grass and buzzed over the uneven ground.

"You'd normally come over in a boat," Dumbledore told them. "But since you have an unregistered free thrall they're making an exception."

They puttered slower as they approached the castle and drove around the side of the immense building to the stables. An enormously tall woman was brushing down a Clydesdale horse. She made it look like a pony and it didn't seem to mind at all. In fact, it was acting more like a happy dog than a horse.

"Hagrid!" Dumbledore called out. "Come meet Lily and James' boy, and his cousin!"

She set down her brush and scratched the horse behind the ears. She walked over to them, beaming. "Well, 'course he is! He looks just like James! Has Lily's wings, though."

"Do I?" Harry asked.

"You don't know?" Hagrid frowned.

"Erm… my aunt and mother were estranged," Dudley said embarrassedly. "They had just made up and were coming over to the house when the car crash happened."

Harry lifted his hair to reveal a lightning shaped scar on his forehead.

"Sad thing," Hagrid shook her head. "They were good people, but James was never good with human inventions."

"Harry, Dudley. This is Ruby Hagrid, our Housekeeper and Head of Security." Dumbledore introduced them.

"Nice to meet you," Harry and Dudley said in unison.

"Well, it's obvious you two are a matched set." Hagrid chuckled. "Why'd you get the special motorbike treatment?"

"Dudley is our new free thrall," Dumbledore said impressively.

"I heard about that! How'd you manage that one?"

Harry and Dudley both blushed as they stammered out their story. When they were done Hagrid threw her head back and laughed loudly. "Well, that's a new one! Can't wait to see what you two come up with next!"

The boys blushed as they were led up to the castle. They stopped at a small guard shack to register Dudley and the tiny man inside wished them both good luck.

Dumbledore led them to a side door and into a room where other fairies and thrall were gathered. Harry looked around and saw a sea of burgundy, green, blue, and yellow wings. He grinned widely as he went in and Dumbledore left them. He looked around and spotted a long couch and he motioned to Dudley to follow him. They settled in.

"What are we waiting for?" Dudley asked.

"I don't know," Harry said. "But we're in the right place."

A bell rang and a door opened and everyone got to their feet. A tall fairy in black leathers and wire-rimmed glasses stared them down. Her hair was green and there was a single pheasant feather in her hair. She had burgundy wings as well.

"I am Deputy Headmistress Professor McGonagall." Her eyes settled on each of them in turn. "Gryffindors, come with me! Everyone with red wings! Bring your thralls."

Harry and Dudley stepped forward with other Gryffindor students and they were looked up and down.

"Most satisfactory," the fairy said decisively. "Follow me."

And so they did, down a long hallway and into a large food hall that was enchanted to look like the sky. Four long tables were set up for the students and they were seated by wing color.

The Gryffindor students were led up on stage and called forward by their Head of House. Each table clapped politely as the new students were introduced, but the Gryffindor table went mad with each name. Harry felt quite welcome and relief settled over him as he and Dudley made their way to the tables.

Harry sat near a red-haired boy and Dudley made his way to the largest table, which was for the thralls. They clapped and welcomed him warmly and Dudley gave Harry a thumbs-up.

"I'm Ron Weasley," the red-haired boy introduced himself.

"Harry Potter," said Harry.

"I know! You're the Potter heir!" Ron exclaimed.

"I guess so." Harry shrugged.

"I bet you have your own room," Ron said wistfully. "You even have a thrall."

"I share with my cousin, Dudley," Harry said, nodding at his cousin. "And technically he's a free thrall."

"Oh! Our dad told us that!" One of a set of red-haired twins piped up across the table.

"What are the chances?" The other asked.

"Lucky he's your cousin. Would have been bad if he was a neighbor or something." Ron said.

"We're Fred and George," the twins said in unison. "We're this ones' brother."

"We've got another brother, too. Percy, but he's out on patrol."

"Patrol for what?" Harry asked.

"Anything trying to break in or out." Fred or George said.

"Or anyone," George or Fred said ominously.

The other students and thrall were introduced and sorted to their tables. Dumbledore took his place behind a gold podium with flowers carved on it.

"Welcome to Avalon! You have made it through the mists and the Island has deemed you worthy! You should be proud, we lost twenty prospective students this year. We shall have a moment of silence in their memory."

Most of the students bowed their heads, but several first years and thrall looked horrified, though they stayed silent.

"Only the most loyal make it through. It was a security feature integrated in the sixteenth century during the Crystal Crisis to insure non-human intervention. Something you will all learn about this year, and I hope you will enjoy!"

There was an excited buzzing throughout the room.

"At the end of term we will be recreating the Battle of Courts, so I suggest anyone that wants to be a major figure put emphasis on physical development." He seemed to look at several students pointedly. "We will have Skirmishes between Houses as usual in order for you to prove yourselves. Best of luck! And now will create our own music with the school song!"

Harry was alarmed. He didn't know anything about a song! He looked at Ron, who shrugged.

Dumbledore tapped a hand against the top of the podium and the students sat up straight. Their wings began to vibrate in different frequencies and a simple, pretty tune floated through the air. Harry grinned widely and looked at Ron who appeared to be delighted.

The music ended and Dumbledore clapped his hands. Food appeared on the tables.

Harry recognized some things, but others made him tilt his head to one side. "I don't know what all of this is," he said to no one in particular.

"Boiled quail eggs colored with tea," Ron began pointing out. "Fish. Salad stuff, salad stuff, salad stuff…"

"What's that?" Harry asked as he motioned to a bowl of what looked like dirt with flowers.

"Dirt and flowers. I don't like the flowers, but the dirt is good on salads."

"Is it really dirt?"

"What's dirt made of?" Ron asked his brothers.

"Mushrooms, nuts, spices." One of them rattled off. "I don't know what kind of spices, but I think there's cinnamon in there."

Ron pointed out a few more dishes that looked a little too organic, but were made up of common enough foods.

Harry made himself a plate of food and ate his fill.

He looked to the head table and wondered what the fairies behind it did. He saw a tall, dark wizard with a hooked nose talking to a slight fairy with his hair piled high with violets. The man gave him a queasy feeling.

"Who's that?" Harry asked Ron."

"Who? Him?" Ron gestured to the head table with a chicken bone. "That's Professor Snape. He's been teaching Potions for years, but word has it he has his eye on the Unseelie job. If I were Quirrel I'd watch out for him."

"Is the other teacher Quirrel? What's the Unseelie job?" Harry asked.

"Yes, that's Quirrel," Ron said. "He went to Atlantis to study water fairies. Got mixed up with some dark fairies and was never quite the same. Ministry said he lost his nerve."

"Unseelie are fairies that practice dark magic so much it alters them," Fred or George explained. "It changes you. Look at Snape. It's obvious he's been touched."

Harry studied the sallow-skinned man staring intently at Quirrel, who was chattering away. There wasn't anything wrong with him, per se, but where most fairies were full of life and joy he exuded darkness and mystery.

Harry felt that queasy feeling in his stomach again.

"Have some honeysuckle wine," one of the twins said soothingly as he poured a goblet. "Don't think about the big, bad, cranky fairy."

"I'm not allowed to have wine," Harry said automatically.

"You are now." The other twin smirked. "You can't get drunk. You're a fairy."

"Really?" Harry asked.

"Really." Ron said nodding as he poured a goblet of red wine for himself. "It has to be in order for it to be sterile enough for us to drink."

"I can drink whatever I want," Harry said, frowning.

"But you grew up there, didn't you? It's not such a shock to your system." Ron reasoned.

Harry discovered they were right about the wine not getting him drunk and after they finished their meal there was a marching of feet and the Hall grew silent. Four older students tramped in with a small group in step behind them. They stopped in front of the long table the teachers ate at.

Dumbledore got to his feet and put his napkin down. "Students, these are your Head Boys. Head Girls will be joining you later. The people with them are your House prefects. They will assist you in your lives here, and will discipline you if need be. We run off a point system in each House. Good deeds earn you points, misdeeds lose them. There are events throughout the year to win more points and at the end of the year we will award the winning house with the House Cup."

"There's Percy, my other brother," Ron whispered to Harry. He pointed to the Gryffindor prefects and Harry spotted a tall speckled boy with thick, curly red hair. "He's going to be Head Boy one day."

"Your Head boys and prefects will escort you to your common rooms. There you will settle in and get to know the place where you will be living for the next seven years." Dumbledore beamed at them. "Welcome to Avalon!"

Students began getting to their feet and Harry followed Ron and the twins over to the House Officers. They were led out of the Hall and through the school, seeing the inside of the castle in its true form for the first time.


End file.
